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I have recently aquired a 164... lovely thing... but it has one odd problem. Every time the ignition is turned on, whether starting the engine or not, there is a rapid ticking noise from behind the instrument cluster. This settles after 20 or 30 seconds to a tick every 2 seconds or so ? This event happens even if you start the car warm, or even after a stall... so it's not cold start originated. It sounds as if it was a fan motor with a loose component, or an item wrapped round it flicking... BUT it's not... it does it with blower off. My question is two fold...

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Early 164s had an air distribution problem due to plastic gears within the system failing — which is fixable, but complete dashboard removal is required. Not something for the faint-hearted. Also, check the heater, if you can hear a ‘ticking’ noise when it is on, it’s probably only due to a failed resistor.

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Thanks Paul.O... I think you may be right, I messed around with the air distribution control, and it definitely has an effect on the clicking noise. In the off position it disapeared for a bit, then re-started after a few 'starts'. I have discovered a sweet spot on the control knob settings (just before windscreen only emblem) where the noise is not there... I guess if it returns, I'll need to disable the switching motor somehow.
All I ever have heater distribution set at is 'windscreen' anyway, so if I can get the flaps opened to that - and then disable the switching motor it would avoid the massive task of dash board removal. ? ? ?
I'll wait for a nice sunny day to mess on... it's too chilly here today to be fumbling around under the dashboard ! :lol:
Ugs

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Hi, welcome to heaven/hell Sir! Asked the same question on another forum (you know the one, it begins with 164) about a slight 'behind the dash' noise on my 2.0 which sounds a bit like yours. Same reply - might be the stepper motor for the fan, but I'm not sure. I'm about to record it and post - mine sounds more like a hard drive seek sound, not very loud..
but if you must, Alfa 164 TSB 66.94.01

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I know ! I read that ! It would be quicker and simpler to build a kit-car than remove the dash board from a 164! My next thought is to kill it... find the appropriate wire, and snip! There seems to be plentiful warm air coming out of the various outlets already, without some paranoid stepper motor crooning all the time !
Ugs

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AP Workshop used to make sets of brass gears to replace the plastic ones - they provided instructions to do a partial removal of the dash to get at the gearboxes. I replaced mine and it wasn't too difficult - but it did take a while!:lol:

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Thanks for the fearsome prognosis Symon
Mine seems to settle after 10 or so seconds, and I can live with that till a warmer weekend ! Considering the age and price of the car... I think a click here or there is reasonable. If I can cure it I will... if not... well - I'm enjoying the 164 too much to worry. :lol:
Ugs

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Sorry - I'm away of business at the moment (hence the strange posting time). I'll dig them out when I get home.

AP workshop don't do the gears anymore, so no link. Interestingly they are in the same group as keys4classics - a really good place to get keys for old Alfas. They will cut to
a digital photo and they even do the weird GTV6 security keys! They're in Australia but keys are light so postage isn't an issue.

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Try altering the temperature from hot to cold and back. If the ticking is unaffected by this process, and the temperature changes appropriately, the problem is likely to be the stepper motor for the distribution only. That's the one (on a right hand drive) nearer the centre of the car - which really means dash-out, I'm afraid. No need to disturb wipers - all done from inside the car, but not a nice job!

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Cheers Avocet, I think we're all pretty much in agreement it's the stepper motor for the distribution, and sadly a major pain in the butt to fix. But at the moment it only does it for about ten seconds at first turn of the ignition, and then (with the selection knob set just before 'windscreen' emblem, it remains silent) Air is coming out where it should, and temperature is un-affected. So until I gird my loins for a major surgery job - It can stay that way !
Ugs

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Try altering the temperature from hot to cold and back. If the ticking is unaffected by this process, and the temperature changes appropriately, the problem is likely to be the stepper motor for the distribution only. That's the one (on a right hand drive) nearer the centre of the car - which really means dash-out, I'm afraid. No need to disturb wipers - all done from inside the car, but not a nice job!

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I've only ever done it on an old pre-1993 facelift car. Don't know how different the later cars were! From memory, (bitter memory!) on a right hand drive car, you run both front seats fully backwards and disconnect the battery.

Pull both A pillar trims off (they're just on push fasteners) and unhook their rearmost ends from the B pillar trims.

Gently prise the demister vent cover up - right across the width of the windscreen. Again, it just pulls off. You will then see half a dozen or so large Phillips headed screws holding the front edge of the dash to the scuttle. These need to come out. It's a pig of a job if the windscreen is in! I used a very short Phillips screwdriver bit and a 1/4" ring spanner to turn it. Took ages!

You then gently prise the trim pieces out from under each side of the instrument binnacle. They're the very narrow bits just above the warning light test button and the dash light dimmer. Behind them, you'll see a couple of self-tappers. Take them out and then pull off that bit of trim. You'll then see a couple more big Phillips-head set screws holding the instrument binnacle. Take those out and the binnacle slides upwards. Disconnect all the various wiring connectors from it.

Slide the trim bit on the right hand side ofthe radio and climate control console upwards (I think it's upwards) and it will come off to reveal a couple of big screws holding the climate control unit it. Take that out and unplug it.

I think the glovebox has to come out (pop the tabs at each bottom corner and slide the spring-loaded hing pins to one side).

You have to take out all the face vents. The ones at each side of the dash are a PIG to do and usually break!!! You need to get a thin blade down the side of them to release the tabs holding them into the dash, but it's not at all easy!

There are then a load of self-tappers and screws that I've forgotten about, holding the bottom of the dash to whatever they could find nearby!

Both side trims have to come off the transmission tunnel. I think you slacken the handbrake cable right off until it comes almost vertical and lift the centre console out. You also need to take the clutch footrest off to get the driver's side one out.

Eventually, the dash will come free (and loads of big blocks of foam, just bodged in there to hold the face vent ducting, will fall out and never go back in the same place ever again).

I'm sure I've forgotten a load of stuff, but that's the gist of it!

I've not tried going in from under the bonnet, but I'm not sure the distribution motor can be accessed that way in any case?

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I didn't bother removing parts of the dash, I took it out as pretty much a complete unit, with the glovebox, and instrument binnacle attached.

The steering column had to come out, plus there are loads of electrical connectors.

I don't remember if I removed the wipers to get down the scuttle to get at the dash retaining nuts, but I did remove the linkage. It took plenty of head scratching to get it all apart, especially as this was the days before Alfaowner existed.

The whole dash complete with the metal frame came out as one.

Unfortunately I no longer have the pictures I took whilst doing the job.

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As I said earlier, there's a sweet spot on the vent selector, just before the windscreen emblem that has stopped the intermittent 'tick' while driving. At start-up you get ten seconds of rapid ticks, then all goes quiet. Air is coming out from the windscreen vents (mostly where it would be required 90% of the time anyway)... so I think I can learn to live with ten seconds a journey. The 'Dash Out' scenario sounds like a major hassle for such a trivial malady.
Thanks for all your help guys, though.
Ugs

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